WATERVILLE — Thomas College has been awarded a $3 million Title III Strengthening Institutions Grant “Building the College of the Future: Integrating Artificial Intelligence Across the Curriculum” to build appropriate artificial intelligence proficiency into all academic programs.
This multi-year project will support an institution-wide effort to ensure that every Thomas College graduate develops practical, critical and ethical AI literacy. The grant supports hiring several full-time positions including an AI specialist in residence to support professional development for faculty; ensure AI is embedded across curricula; expand applied learning through AI access; bring awareness to the resource needs and sustainability aspects to having AI; and develop a design space with equipment specialized for fabrication, testing, robotics, automation, data acquisition and computer-aided design.
“This Title III grant aligns seamlessly with who Thomas College is and where we are headed,” Provost Jeremy Qualls said. “Thomas College is committed to and excels at providing a career-driven education, and this grant will allow us to provide the most cutting-edge curriculum to make sure our graduates are ready to use technology in their future careers.”
This project will impact all students and allow the College to create new majors to be competitive in a rapidly evolving AI market.
“Bringing a major competitive federal grant like this to Maine is a big deal, and it will be felt directly by the businesses that make up our economy. For a small business or early-stage startup in Central Maine, a single employee who knows how to use AI well can change what the entire company is able to do. Thomas College’s Title III award means that talent will be developed right here, with AI literacy and hands-on proficiency built into every program,” Central Maine Growth Council President & CEO, Garvan Donegan said. “This is exactly how we deepen technical expertise in computational sciences and AI across Central Maine and beyond: by securing national resources and putting them to work for the people and businesses already here.”